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UNITED STATES PATENT FFIcE.

JOSEPH R. HERTFORD, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

MOLDED ARTICLES FROM PAPER-PULP.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 227,357, dated May 11, 1880. Application filed September 20, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osEPH R. HERTFORD, of Washington, in the county of Washington and District of Columbia, have invented a new Improvement in Molded Articles from Paper-Pulp, consisting in articles of mantel, bracket, table, and cabinet ornament made from the pulped fiber of Government and national-bank currency and Government reveline-stamps; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, making part of this specification, and representing a batrachian ornament made from the said pulp.

The paper used for the national-bank and Government currency and for revenue-stamps is made with a special and peculiar fiber, the use of which, as originally made, is forbidden for other purposes, and, with the sizing used for its manufacture, it is very strong and tenacious; also, the colors used in printing the currency and stamps are ofthe most nnchan geable and indelible nature. On this account, notwithstanding the strength of the fiber, the pulp produced in mashing the destroyed cur rcncy and stamps has never been applied successfully to any useful purpose except to make wrapping-paper, and hundreds of tons now lie unused and thus far useless.

I have discovered that this pulp, on account of its tenacious quality, may be molded into articles of ornament, and possess sufficient firmness and durability without the addition of any further ingredient whatever, and that the colors originally used in printing the currency and stamps produce a nearly uniform clear gray color, permanent and pleasing to the eye, and that the surface formed by the simple act of molding and drying is quite suitable to a considerable and varied class of objects, such as the representation of small animals, natural objects in the mineral and vegetable kingdoms, and architectural and various other works of art and manufactured articles, and this without any additional finish whatever, though I do not preclude polishing, varnishing, and otherwise finishing in the scope of my invention nor do I exclude utility added to ornament, since many of the articles may subserve useful purposes, such as paperweights, card-trays, and photograph-frames.

In order to produce these articles I employ molds of plaster-of-paris or other suitable material, into which the pulp, reduced to a properly plastic state by water, is introduced and compacted by tamping, or it may be forced in under strong pressure. Ordinarily, however, the simple method of beating or tamping into the mold is simplest and quite suitable. The article remains in the mold until it dries and hardens sufficiently to retain its form. When taken from the mold and dried it is in a tinished state, if the surface thus formed is preferred, or it may be further finished by cutting, raspin g, or polishing. In the latter case it may also be varnished. In selecting the pulp for this use rusty and discolored parts are to be rejected. The cleaner and purer the pulp the better the result.

I disclaim all articles made from ordinary paperpulp and made from any money or stamps of the Government or other party or corporation except the money or stamps having the peculiar fibrous paper alone used by the United States Government in this country, and printed with the indelible colors of black, green, and red, which, together with the colored fibers distinctive in this paper, produce the peculiar gray color exhibited by these articles. This mashed material is a different substance from the money and stamps themselves, having peculiarly the characteristics herein stated, and is a new combination adapted to this new use. It also differs from ordinary paper-pulp or papier-mach in not being reduced nearly to such a fine consistency, the mashing or grinding being carried only far enough to fully destroy the money and stamps and get the material in a form for transportation and use.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

As a new article of manufacture, ornamental forms and representations molded from the partially-pulped fiber of destroyed Government and national -bank currency and Government revenue-stamps made from the dark fibered paper now in use, and printed in black, green, and red colors, substantially as herein specified.

The foregoing specification signed by me this 17th day of September, 1879.

JOSEPH n. HERTFORD.

WVitnesses:

J. S. BROWN, GEO. F. GRAHAM. 

